Jean Garling (1907–1998) was an Australian writer, dancer, and for many years a strong supporter of dance and the performing arts, in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, New South Wales. She was a founding member of the Library Society, and became a Governor Benefactor of the

State Library of New South Wales The State Library of New South Wales, part of which is known as the Mitchell Library, is a large heritage-listed special collections, reference and research library open to the public and is one of the oldest libraries in Australia. Establish ...

in 1992, subsequently bequeathing her whole estate to the Library upon her death in 1998.

Early life

Garling was born on 3 September 1907 in

Gilgandra, New South Wales Gilgandra is a country town in the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia, and services the surrounding agricultural area where wheat is grown extensively together with other cereal crops, and sheep and beef cattle are raised. Sitting at ...

. She was a descendant of

Frederick Garling Frederick Garling (17 February 1775 – 2 May 1848) was an English attorney and solicitor, and was one of the first solicitors admitted in Australia and was regarded as the first senior solicitor of the second Supreme Court established in the co ...

, who arrived in Sydney in 1815 as one of the two Crown solicitors for the Colony. She was educated at

Gulargambone Gulargambone is a small town in the central west plains of New South Wales, Australia, on the banks of the Castlereagh River, in Coonamble Shire. It is 382 km (and 490 km by road) north west of Sydney. At the 2016 census, Gulargambone ...

Public School and, for a short time, at

Dubbo Dubbo () is a city in the Orana Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the largest population centre in the Orana region, with a population of 43,516 at June 2021. The city is located at the intersection of the Newell, Mitchell, and Gol ...

High School, before moving to Sydney, where she attended Shirley (Ailanthus College) before finishing her secondary education at the Sydney Church of England Grammar School for Girls (SCEGGS), Darlinghurst. Garling studied physiotherapy at the University of Sydney, and received a Diploma of Massage in 1927. She worked initially as a masseuse at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital before serving as a physiotherapist in the Australian Army Medical Women's Service in

Darwin Darwin may refer to: Common meanings * Charles Darwin (1809–1882), English naturalist and writer, best known as the originator of the theory of biological evolution by natural selection * Darwin, Northern Territory, a territorial capital city i ...

during 1941 – 1942, holding the rank of Lieutenant.Garling, Jean, 1907-1998
State Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 March 2013.Jean Garling
, History Council of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 March 2013. As a civilian Garling subsequently worked at the Repatriation General Hospital, Concord and at

Sydney Hospital Sydney Hospital is a major hospital in Australia, located on Macquarie Street in the Sydney central business district. It is the oldest hospital in Australia, dating back to 1788, and has been at its current location since 1811. It first rece ...

. She worked a backstage manager for Sydney Eisteddfod and

Musica Viva Musica Viva was founded in 1945 by Romanian-born violinist Richard Goldner, with the aim of bringing chamber music to Australia. The co-founder was a German-born musicologist, Walter Dullo. At its inception, Musica Viva was a string ensemble per ...

, and in 1947 she wrote and starred in her own play, entitled ''The Jokers''. Garling was classically trained in ballet, and danced with the Lightfoot-Burlakov

First Australian Ballet First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

, where she was taught by

Mischa Burlakov Mischa is a diminutive form of the name Mikhail. Men * Mischa Auer (1905–1967), Russian actor born Mikhail Semyonovich Unskovsky * Mikhail Mischa Bakaleinikoff (1890–1960), Russian-born musical director, Hollywood film composer and conduct ...

, who came to Australia with Anna Pavlova. Jean Garling a272001

Publications

Jean Garling was the author of ''Australian Notes on the Ballet'' (), which was published in 1950 with the subtitle "highlights of Ballet in Australia showing contemporary trend and influences up to the present world premiere of the Australian ballet

Corroboree A corroboree is a generic word for a meeting of Australian Aboriginal peoples. It may be a sacred ceremony, a festive celebration, or of a warlike character. A word coined by the first British settlers in the Sydney area from a word in the l ...

Death

Jean Garling died on 8 April 1998 aged 90. She is buried in the Gilgandra General Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Garling, Jean 1907 births 1998 deaths Writers from Sydney Australian ballerinas